Recording stereo audio with a mobile device, such as smartphones and tablet computers, may be useful for making video of concerts, performances, and other events. Typical stereo recording devices are designed with either large separation between microphones or with precisely angled directional microphones to utilize acoustic properties of the directional microphones to capture stereo effects. Mobile devices, however, are limited in size and, therefore, the distance between microphones is significantly smaller than a minimum distance required for optimal omni-directional microphone stereo separation. Using directional microphones is not practical due to the size limitations of the mobile devices and may result in an increase in overall costs associated with the mobile devices. Additionally, due to the limited space for placing directional microphones, a user of the mobile device can be a dominant source for the directional microphones, often interfering with target sound sources.
Another aspect of recording stereo audio using a mobile device is a problem of capturing acoustically representative signals to be used in subsequent processing. Traditional microphones used for mobile devices may not able to handle high pressure conditions in which stereo recording is performed, such as a performance, concert, or a windy environment. As a result, signals generated by the microphones can become distorted due to reaching their acoustic overload point (AOP).